Berlin companies rely on open source
The results of a representative survey by the Berlin IHK show how firmly open source software is already anchored in Berlin's economy - and at the same time where important steps are still missing in order to position companies, administrations and Berlin as a digitally sovereign location.
Open source in Berlin companies
About three quarters of the companies surveyed already rely on open source software (OSS) in their day-to-day business. There are many reasons for this: lower costs, better customisability, greater security and, above all, less dependence on individual providers. Due to geopolitical uncertainties, there is a strong desire for digital sovereignty. More than 80% of companies assume that the relevance of digital sovereignty in the procurement of software will increase or even rise sharply.
Cooperation with regional IT service providers is also becoming increasingly important. For more than half of the companies, this is a central factor in the procurement and implementation of projects - a clear signal for the strengthening of local value chains in the digital space.
Initiatives for open source in Berlin
The Open Source Competence Centre (OSK) has provided an important impetus in Berlin to strategically promote the use of free software and to support the Berlin administration in the introduction and procurement of open source software.
Peer Heinlein, founder and CEO of the Heinlein Group and OpenCloud, played a key role in initiating and organising the Berlin Open Source Day last summer in his role as a member of the general assembly of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce and a member of the extended board of the Open Source Business Alliance. The event brought together more than 100 representatives from public institutions, companies, politics and research to discuss concrete application possibilities and legal framework conditions for open source in public IT. Formats such as the Open Source Day help to make open source visible as a strategic topic at state level.
The response to the event made it clear: The interest in viable open source solutions is great. A follow-up is already planned for 2025.
Challenges and political expectations
At the same time, the IHK survey shows that companies see challenges in the use of open source software: 49% of companies expect difficulties in converting existing IT structures and user habits, around 40% associate open source solutions with a lack of support and maintenance and around a quarter cite a lack of internal expertise as an obstacle. These figures emphasise this: There is still a lot to do. This also applies to communicating knowledge about which professional open source offerings with reliable support are already available today.
A state-organised open source strategy is now to be introduced in Berlin this year. The Berlin companies have concrete ideas on how open source should be promoted by the Senate. These include, above all, procurement procedures that actually take open technologies into account: A clear majority of the companies surveyed (65%) are in favour of bindingly prioritising open source in public tenders. 59% also call for a consistent switch to open solutions in administrative IT. Financial support for open source projects and information and training programmes within the administration should also be addressed alongside the establishment of networks.
OpenCloud - An example of digital sovereignty
As part of the Heinlein Group, OpenCloud already embodies the vision of digital sovereignty in practice today. OpenCloud provides a powerful platform for file management and file sharing that is in no way inferior to proprietary solutions and shows how digital collaboration, genuine data protection and sustainable IT based on open source are possible today. Functions such as shared file rooms, differentiable access rights, integrated web office applications and an intelligent search function enable an efficient working environment - without dependence on non-European infrastructures.
Professional service and support contracts ensure operation, support and maintenance for companies and the public sector. Fixed partners help with the conversion of existing systems and integration into existing infrastructures. This provides customers with experienced support and the necessary security. - OpenCloud enables organisations of all sizes to design their digital infrastructure with confidence and self-determination.
Conclusion: The foundation is there
The IHK survey makes it clear: open source has long been established in Berlin companies - not just technically, but strategically. From a business perspective, clear political signals are now needed to ensure that open technologies are also bindingly promoted and utilised in the administration. Ultimately, the companies themselves will also benefit from the wider use and further development of open source solutions and the associated promotion of open source companies. - Instead of continuing to procure licences for proprietary, mostly American, products, organisations are taking the much more sustainable route with open source.
These expectations are in line with the contents of the coalition agreement, which explicitly mentions open source and digital sovereignty. The decisive factor is whether this becomes more than just a declaration of intent - and whether Berlin seizes the opportunity to take a sustainable, digitally sovereign path with concrete measures and reliable structures.
